This is not what Yunjin signed up for.
She had three open murder cases, and possibly another one waiting on her desk back in the station. Thinking back to her poor desk, a small cubicle practically overflowing with files and papers along with random colored pens that she would steal from others and forget to return, she sighed longing to go back. She should either be there or at some crime scene or chasing down suspects or doing something, anything that was not this.
However, here she was, sitting in front of thirty six-year-olds, wearing a horribly ugly yellow sash over her leather jacket that read in an awful comic sans font; STRANGER DANGER. The kids, to their credit, all were watching with intensely focused eyes as Sakura adamantly described what they should do if they find themselves in a situation. She crossed her arms, sure she knew these techniques could save them a bit of time, but honestly, if someone wanted to harm one of these little kids no amount of training would prevent Yunjin from having to arrive at a scene the next morning.
"Detective Huh will need a volunteer to demonstrate our techniques," Sakura clapped her hands, snapping Yunjin back to reality, "Does anyone want to volunteer?"
Thirty hands shot up in the air, waving slightly as they tried to garter a bit of attention. Sakura turned to the teacher, flashing her a smile as a signal for her to pick a volunteer. For a homicide detective, Sakura was soft. She loved children, and Yunjin knew she and her wife were trying to carry but the process was long and tiring, with very slow progress being made. The thought of picking just one to the disappointment of the other twenty-nine was something that Sakura couldn't bear, ironic because just three hours before they stepped in the classroom Sakura was taking pictures of a scene where a mother stabbed her own son three times. The teacher, Yunjin vaguely recalled her name being Hanni, a beautiful teacher, quite a few years younger than herself smiled back before looking over the kids.
"Kyujin, how about you come up here and help?" She called, and a girl sprouted up making her way to the front. She was cute, a bit on the taller side, and she looked up to Sakura this big smile as she waited for instructions.
"Do you remember what to do?" Sakura put her hands on the girl's shoulders, sending a silent glare over to Yunjin for her to actually stand up. Yunjin rose to her feet with a small huff, as the girl nodded. "Then show us."
Just as Sakura had so adamantly instructed in the car ride there, Yunjin gently grasped onto the young girl's wrist, cautious to be a bit firm yet gentle with the small child. Kyujin immediately pulled and in her bravest and most intimating voice, squeaked out, "I don't know you! Stop!"
Sakura started the applause, which the rest of the class quickly followed. Kyujin grinned before making her own way back to her seat, Sakura looked like she had more to say, but the light ringing of the school bell cut her off. The attention the kids had so wholeheartedly given her went straight out the window as they rushed to grab their backpacks and run out the door. There were a few stragglers, three packing up slow and chatting away with each other, another young girl slowly putting her things in her bag.
"Thank you guys for coming today, I know the kids had a lot of fun." Yunjin tore her attention from the kids to the conversation that was happening between Sakura and the teacher.
"It's important that they know this stuff." Sakura shrugged, grabbing her own coat, "Could save their life someday."
Hanni looked like she wanted to answer, but a small "Ms.Pham." interrupted her. The three of them looked down to see a small girl staring back at them. She looked a bit nervous, probably from having two strangers looking at her as well. She was wearing an oversized ratty blue sweatshirt, her hair was in a loose ponytail with her bangs grown out and seemingly pushed out of the way not to bother her eyes, "Can I have my prize now?"
The teacher blinked a few times before realization flooded her face. She nodded quickly as the girl practically tripped over herself to go a small red plastic treasure chest digging through the contents. "We have a little chart if they get five gold stars they can pick a prize." Hanni explained, "Eunchae worked really hard for her stars. She's a good kid, she's just a bit temperamental at times."
"Really? She seems quiet. I didn't hear her speak the entire presentation."
"Yeah, actually that was something I wanted to talk to you two about before you left." They watched the girl grab a small stuffed animal from the box, wave goodbye and dashed out of the classroom. "I called family services twice, and still nothing has been done. She comes in all bruised up sometimes or will be really mean to other students out of the blue."
"You believe there's something going on at home?" Sakura questioned.
"I do. Could you two do a wellness check or something? I don't know what to do."
"I can send some officers to fulfill a wellness check if you come down to the station later and fill out a report." Sakura smiled and tossed her bag on her shoulder. They exchanged quick goodbyes before heading to the parking lot.
As soon as they entered the car, Yunjin watched with amusement the facade practically melt away from Sakura as she stretched her arms. Sakura sent her a glare, "You could have been a bit more helpful, I don't think you said a single word that entire time."
"I was too busy thinking of, you know, our actual job."
Sakura groaned, "You can't stop thinking about it just for an hour to talk to some kids?"
"Nope."
"You're incredible, truly"
"I try my best."
"So did you ever call that girl Kazuha gave you the number of?" Sakura started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, "The lawyer?"
"No."
"Yunjin," Sakura whined, "You're going to die lonely and alone."
"Did you find anything about the red bean bun boy case?" Yunjin questioned. Sakura sighed, and the reassurance that she had successfully avoided the topic.
"Not all lawyers are bad, you know."
False. Yunjin was not in the clear yet.
She let her head fall back to the headrest, before turning to Sakura who didn't even seem fazed, "It's not because she's a lawyer. I think you've tried to set me up with any gay girl you come in contact with."
"I want you to be happy!"
"I am happy."
"You two are going out on Friday, and that's final." Yunjin knew she had no chance at winning.
---
It's nearly ten when Yunjin leaves the station, which in itself is a miracle. It wasn't uncommon for the detective to finally leave at obscene hours, crashing for a few hours if she was lucky in her apartment, sometimes her car, before reporting back in for another day of work. Maybe it was the light caseload for once, maybe it was Sakura's whining for her to go home so in her words she wouldn't be a 'grumpy bear'. No matter, she finds herself in a sleepy pizza restaurant, a small Hawaiian pie sat steaming on the table in front of her. Some well needed time alone, just her, her pizza, and the child pressing her face against the glass next to her.
"What the fuck!" Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she locked eyes with two big ones boring back into hers. It was the same girl from earlier, what was her name again? Why was she out at this time of night? The girl switched her gaze from Yunjin to Yunjin's pizza, eyeing it like a lion stalking her prey. Yunjin knocked on the glass, this time scaring the girl and in one simple come hither motion the girl was shuffling into the shop head down.
"Sit." Yunjin pointed at the seat across from her, and the girl obeyed watching as her face lit up as she placed a piece of the pizza on a spare plate and set it down in front of her. Something about this just didn't feel right, Yunjin could feel it in her gut. The girl quickly starting eating, she wondered when the last time the young girl ate was.
"What's your name?" Yunjin asked, placing another piece on the girl's plate even though she was only halfway through her first.
"Eunchae," She answered, taking another bite of her pizza.
"Where do you live Eunchae?"
"I can't tell you that."
"Why not?" Yunjin cocked an eyebrow, cringing as the child got a bit of sauce on her cheeks.
"Detective Miyawaki told me not to give out my information to strangers."
Damn you, Miyawaki Sakura.
"But I'm a detective." Yunjin fished into her pocket and pulled out her badge and ID wrapped in a dingy leather wallet, "I'm not a stranger, it's different with police officers."
"It is?"
"Yup. You need to answer all their questions or I could arrest you?" That was a damn lie, but judging from the way Eunchae's eyes widened and fear flashed across her face she had no idea of Yunjin's fib.
"Okay, okay." Eunchae reached across and picked up Yunjin's glass of cola, most importantly without asking. Yunjin could only watch in shock as the child held the cup in between two small chubby hands and carefully raised it to her lips.
"Where's your mommy?"
"She's working."
"Where?"
"Home. I'm not allowed home when she has people over to give her medicine." Eunchae shrugged and picked up the second piece that Yunjin had placed on her plate, "I'm glad, I don't like those guys. They're mean."
"She just kicks you out?" Yunjin didn't like how this was sounding one bit. Maybe the early night Yunjin was dreaming about wasn't going to happen.
"Sometimes I go over Kyujin's house. She sneaks me in and we have a sleepover! I really like Kyujin, she has this small fluffy dog that sleeps in her room so I get to play with him." Eunchae answered, a smile on her lips as she took another big bite.
Kids were something Yunjin could never understand. The food seemed to open Eunchae up a bit, maybe a bit too much. Kids never seemed to have a filter, but that was great for Yunjin's line of work. Yunjin bit her bottom lip, "You said those guys give your mom medicine?"
"Yeah."
"What type of medicine."
"I don't know." Eunchae shrugged, rubbing at the back of her eyes with her hand and let out a soft yawn. It was late, a quick look at her phone was telling her it was a bit past eleven now. Eunchae was probably really sleepy, she wasn't sure if the girl had a bedtime but it was getting late for any kid especially if she had done a full day of school as well.
"Do you want to see my work? We have a dog there too?" Eunchae's eyes lit up, gripping onto the small dog stuffie in her hands. She nodded, and Yunjin sighed out in relief. There was absolutely no way she couldn't report this, and it was much easier for Eunchae to willingly come instead if she refused then Yunjin would have to call somebody and it would be a mess. The pizza was gone, and she had frequented the shop enough to know they would just collect the tray after she left.
She stood up and held out her hand as Eunchae got up as well, putting on her ratty blue backpack. Eunchae gripped onto her hand as they walked out of the shop, and down the street. The station was quite close, but she could tell Eunchae was sleepy. The girl kept rubbing her eyes, and her steps were fumbled and messy. With a sigh, Yunjin leaned over and picked her up, tucking her on her waist as the pair of them walmed down the street and into the station. She brushed off the surprise on Giselle, the front desk operator's, face as she walked in and past her into the main bullpen. She sat Eunchae down at her cubicle, careful to make sure she didn't have any gory photographs resting on the surface first.
"Huh, what did you do?" A hand slapped down on her shoulder, she let out a small groan as she turned to see Yeonjun smiling back at her, "Did you kidnap that poor kid?"
"No, actually- call family services for me. We have a child neglect case."
"You got it, boss." Yeonjun fake saluted her and quickly walked away just as she made eye contact with a seemingly angry Sakura.
"What are you doing here?" She hissed. Yunjin just pointed at the kid, now half asleep in her chair. "Isn't that the girl from earlier?"
"Yeah, she was just walking out and about cause her Mom kicked her out."
"What?" Sakura frowned, "Poor baby must've been cold."
"Yeonjun's calling family services."
"Detective?" Eunchae called out to her, pouting slightly.
"Yeah, Eunchae?"
"Where's the dog?"
"Bear?" Sakura cut in, crouching down to talk to the girl, "He went home already. He needed to go to sleep."
"You lied!"
"I thought he would be here." Yunjin shrugged at Eunchae's outrage, "He was here when i left."
"How about you go to sleep? You must be sleepy." Sakura suggested, brushing the girl's overgrown hair out of her heavy eyes. She grabbed Yunjin's windbreaker off the back of the chair and draped it over the girl like a blanket, before taking Eunchae's small stuffed dog and sandwiched it between her arms. Eunchae seemed to have no objections, slowly drifting off as Sakura stroked her hair.
"Department of families is doing a check right now with two officers," Yeonjun informed as he walked over once again, dropping his voice when he noticed the almost asleep Eunchae, "But we do have to check if she has any injuries."
"Let her sleep for an hour and then I'll do the check." Yunjin sighed and pulled over a chair, pulling a file off of the desk. "She just fell asleep."
"You know if you wanted to go home as well I can make sure everything is done." Sakura offered, Yunjin shook her head. Like every other case, she would see it out to the end.